Tonight: Montel Williams & John Kasich To Host Town Hall At Bay Ridge Manor

With New York’s April 19 presidential primary fast approaching, talk show host Montel Williams and GOP presidential contender Governor John Kasich will be hosting a town hall in Bay Ridge tonight.

The event — which is free — will start at 7pm, and take place at the Bay Ridge Manor (476 76th Street). Tickets can be obtained here. Doors open at 6pm.

Kasich — who is currently running far behind front-runner Donald Trump in the polls — recently held a town hall in Howard Beach, Queens, where he left an impression on Senator Marty Golden aid and Bay Ridge Republican John Quaglione, reports the Brooklyn Eagle. That same day, during a stop at Gino’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, Kasich was criticized for pulling a faux pas reminiscent of a newly elected Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “forkgate,” by eating pizza with a fork and knife instead of using his hands like a “real” New Yorker.

Williams, a military veteran, has been an outspoken supporter of Kasich, explaining his stance in a February 4 opinion piece in USA TODAY:

I left the Republican Party in the early 1990s to become an independent. But I’m now excited about the GOP for the first time since then – and it’s because Ohio Gov. John Kasich is running for president.

If there’s one thing 22 years in the military taught me, it’s that we need an adult in the White House. Someone who’ll stand up to our enemies abroad. Someone who is responsible enough to command the world’s most powerful military. Someone who’ll rise above the din of toxicity infecting our national dialogue and unite our bitterly divided public. Someone who can work with both parties while remaining true to his core beliefs. That adult is Kasich.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn GOP Party has already backed Donald Trump in the Republican primary, though politicians that represent Bay Ridge — a Republican stronghold — have stayed mostly mum on the race so far.

So, how is Kasich fairing among New Yorkers? Not great, though he is making some headway. A Monmouth University poll released on Wednesday, found that The Donald is still ahead in the Empire State with just over 50 percent of the vote. Kasich has been is gaining on Trump in the last week, with 25 percent, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz is stagnant with 20 percent of the vote, according to the poll.

Meanwhile, Cruz is planning to meet with the Russian American community in Brighton Beach today, reports our sister site Sheepshead Bites.